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Integrating Underground Freight Transportation into Existing Intermodal Systems

Project Summary

This research project will investigate the feasibility to address the potential for employing a variety of technological advances in underground freight technology which allows for the optimized use of the available highway capacity through managing freight use, One of the concepts calls for the construction of freight tubes (also called pneumatic capsule pipeline), a technology that can be used to transport most cargoes, normally transported by trucks, including construction materials (i.e., sand, gravel, and cement), goods on pallets and in crates, boxes, etc., and even full-size (i.e., 40-h: length) shipping containers. Tube freight transportation is a class of unmanned transportation systems in which close-fitting capsules or trains of capsules carry freight through tubes between terminals. Enabling State of Texas through public private partnerships (P3) to utilize a part of its underground space of the existing right-of-way of highways, especially of interstate highways, will greatly facilitate the construction of such tubes and reduce their construction costs. However, many questions must be answered through a rigorous study before freight tubes can be used along highways, and before they can become an integral part of the nation’s future freight transportation system. This project also examines the use of underground freight tubes in congested urban environment, such as where application of Freight Shuttle System (FSS), as presented by Roop and others, may not be practical and doable.

Project Number

0-6870

Status

Completed

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